Infineon (IFX.DE)

Infineon Technologies AG is a manufacturer specialising in semiconductors. It was formed in 1999, following the spin-off from its former parent company Siemens AG. Infineon has been on a substantial growth curve through the last two decades, cementing itself within the top ten biggest semiconductor specialists on the planet.

There are four key markets that Infineon serves with its semiconductors – automotive, industrial power, power and sensor systems and connected secure systems. Its automotive division focuses on powertrains, ‘comfort’ electronics and safety systems. This market has long been its biggest revenue driver, yielding almost three times the amount of revenue posted by its industrial power control division in 2018.

Net income has continued to rise for Infineon in recent years, breaking the €1 billion barrier in 2018 and reaching an all-time high of €1.28 billion in its 2021 fiscal year.

It has been a rocky road for investors in Infineon. From the moment the company split from its former parent company, Siemens AG, Infineon Technologies seemed to be hit hard by the bursting of the dot-com bubble. With its share price as high as €80 in June 2000, Infineon stock plunged to lows of €12.03 by September 2001.

Things would go from bad to worse for the Infineon share price, plunging further still to €5.08 in October 2002 following a brief rally. The global financial crisis of 2007-08 plunged the Infineon share price further into doubt, reaching €0.42 in February 2009.

The following decade was definitely a period of resurgence for Infineon shares, reaching highs of €21.42 in January 2020, following the development of Infineon’s purchase of Cypress Semiconductor in a deal worth $9.4 billion. The Covid-19 pandemic caused a brief panic on Infineon shares, but 2021 saw a strong period of recovery again, reaching €43.71 in November 2021 - a price not seen since late 2000.

There are several publicly listed companies within the semiconductor industry that can be considered competitors of Infineon Technologies. Dutch firm NXP Semiconductors is, unsurprisingly, another major player in the sector. Founded in 2006, NXP is one of the newest kids on the semiconductor block, specialising in mixed-signal solutions for all manner of power management, radio, security and digital processing services.

American firm Micron Technology has been in the semiconductor business for even longer than Infineon Technologies, having been founded in 1978. Since then, the Idaho-based company has been developing and supplying computer data storage and memory solutions for all manner of applications worldwide. Today, Micron’s core markets include graphics, networking and cloud computing services.

Norway-based Nordic Semiconductor is another ground-breaking operator working in similar circles to Infineon Technologies. Established in 1983, this Trondheim-based firm now specialises solely in semiconductors for low-energy wireless communications devices. This includes a whole host of consumer electronics, such as smartphone accessories and console or PC gaming accessories. It has been publicly listed on the Oslo Stock Exchange since 1996.